Archive | July 2025

When Secrets Bloom

Jul5

Book Spotlight: When Secrets Bloom, an Enchanting Transylvanian Historical Fiction Novel by Patricia Furstenberg

Book Title: When Secrets Bloom

Series: Blood of Kings, Heart of Shadows, Book #1

Author Name: Patricia Furstenberg

Publication Date: June 27, 2025

Publisher: Independently Published

Pages: 493

Genre: Historical Fiction / Mystery / Women’s Crime Fiction / Romanian Literature & Fiction

Any Triggers: n/a

Blurb:

Transylvania, 1463

Some secrets heal. Others kill.

Kate Webber, a 28-year-old Saxon healer, has long walked the line between reverence and suspicion. Trained in the healing arts under the guidance of Lord Vlad Dracula, she has learned that skill alone cannot protect a woman in a city ruled by fear. Her marriage to the powerful but secretive Magyar promised stability, yet left her silenced and watched. On a bitter Advent night, when a mother and her newborn face death, Kate defies her husband’s command and steps into danger — for life, not reputation.

When Kate succeeds, the city notices. Some with awe. Others with fury. The town physician, threatened by her talent and humiliated by her success, seizes his moment. And as rumors flare into accusations, old alliances stir. Iancu, Kate’s childhood friend and now captain of the Militia, comes to her aid during the perilous birth — rekindling memories of freedom, laughter, and trust, before marriage shackled her to duty.

Back in her workshop, a girl appears, pleading for a love potion. But Margit brings more than need. She leads a mob. Elsewhere in the city, Moise, a Jewish apprentice at the printing press, notices a cloaked figure drifting across the square: a Shaman whose presence draws whispers of Magyar’s hidden dealings. When a rare manuscript disappears from the press Moise begins to uncover a darker purpose: a sought-after book. On the day of execution Kate performs a final act of defiance, she saves another child, while Moise is framed for more than he could have ever imagined.

Kate and Moise’s fates, as well as the map’s legacy, unfold as some secrets must be read not in books, but in the hearts of those who hide them.

Kate is a fictional character, yet through her eyes When Secrets Bloom offers a vivid, textured glimpse into 15th-century life in Kronstadt (today Brasov), Transylvania. From the daily rhythms of a fortress ruled by Saxon and Szekler men to the endearing hopes of Vlach and Jewish communities; from the quiet power women wield behind closed doors to the looming shadow of the Church and to whispered fears of plague and heresy, this novel immerses the reader fully in a world both beautiful and brutal.

The presence of Vlad the Impaler’s memory — observed not through myth but through Kate’s wary, intimate lens — adds a haunting tension to the tale. It’s the kind of historical fiction that doesn’t just tell a story, it transports you into its bones.

Fans of rousing historical fiction with a feminist bent will find much to love in When Secrets Bloom.

Buy Link:

Universal Buy Link: https://mybook.to/wsb

This title is available to read on #KindleUnlimited.

Author Bio:

Patricia Furstenberg is a multi-genre writer inspired by the forgotten corners of the past, where truth and legend entwine. With a medical degree and a heart rooted in her native Transylvania, her stories often explore resilience, hidden truths, and the quiet strength of women. She is best known for her geopolitical fiction Silent Heroes and WW2 historical fiction Joyful Trouble. Part of an upcoming book series, When Secrets Bloom is her latest release. Today, Patricia lives in sunny South Africa with her family.

For more information about Patricia’s books please visit her website or find her on social media.

Author links:

Author website: https://alluringcreations.co.za/wp/

X / Twitter: https://x.com/PatFurstenberg

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaFurstenbergAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patfurstenbergauthor/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/patfurstenberg.bsky.social

Amazon Author Page: https://author.to/PatFurstenberg

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/237060534-when-secrets-bloom

The Lydiard Chronicles

Jul4

Book Title:     The Lydiard Chronicles (A Trilogy)

Author:          Elizabeth St.John

Publication Date:      2016-2020

Publisher:      Falcon Historical

Genre:                        Historical Fiction

Any Triggers:            No

Hashtags: #HistoricalFiction #EnglishCivilWar #FamilyHistory #BlogTour #TheCoffeePotBookClub

Tour Schedule Page: https://thecoffeepotbookclub.blogspot.com/2025/05/blog-tour-the-lydiard-chronicles-by-elizabeth-stjohn.html

Book Title and Author Name

The Lydiard Chronicles:

The Lady of the Tower (Book #1)

By Love Divided (Book #2)

Written in Their Stars (Book #3)

by Elizabeth St.John

Blurb:

Duty, passion, and power collide in The Lydiard Chronicles, a gripping trilogy inspired by true events. Follow three courageous women—survivors, strategists, and storytellers—who defy the constraints of society to shape their family’s fate and England’s future. Their voices echo through time. Their legacy changed a nation.

The Lydiard Chronicles is an award-winning, best-selling historical family saga which brings to life the remarkable true stories of the St.John family. Spanning three compelling novels—The Lady of the Tower, By Love Divided, and Written in Their Stars—the series follows the legacy of resilient and intelligent women who lived as spies, courtiers, and diarists during England’s most turbulent century, navigating the quicksand of love and war, political upheaval, and personal sacrifice.

Bound by fierce family loyalty and unforgettable love, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles defy the limits of their time with passion, courage, and unshakable independence. They endure captivity in the Tower of London, exile in the Louvre Palace, and the heart-wrenching divisions of the English Civil War—fighting not just for survival, but for their beliefs, their families, and the right to choose their own fate. Meticulously researched and vividly told, this epic saga reveals how these women created history from the shadows, leaving a legacy of resilience, defiance, and enduring influence.

Rooted in original diaries, letters, and family papers, The Lydiard Chronicles offers an intimate, biographical portrait of women who moved behind the scenes of power. Serving as trusted secret agents, military wives, and confidantes of kings, they were deeply engaged in the political and religious conflicts of their time. Through tragedy and triumph, the women of The Lydiard Chronicles shape their destinies—and the fate of a nation—in this richly researched and vividly told historical epic.

Guest Post

When Angels Fly

Espionage, Loyalty, and Legacy: The Real Women Behind Written in Their Stars, the Third and Final Novel of The Lydiard Chronicles

The English Civil War was a time of fractured loyalties, clandestine alliances, and perilous choices. Among the many extraordinary women of the era, few navigated this treacherous landscape with as much intellect and influence as Anne Wilmot, Countess of Rochester. Known affectionately within her family as “Nan,” she was both a royalist spymistress and a fiercely loyal cousin—even to those who fought on the other side of the battlefield.

Nan’s remarkable life of intrigue, resistance, and devotion is at the heart of Written in Their Stars, the third novel in The Lydiard Chronicles. Inspired by my own family history, the novel delves into her covert efforts to support King Charles II while maintaining an unbreakable bond with her cousin, Lucy Hutchinson—a devout Puritan and Parliamentarian whose memoirs, remarkably, Nan helped preserve.

Lucy Hutchinson’s writings are the foundation of The Lydiard Chronicles. Her memoirs, written to defend the memory of her regicide husband, Colonel John Hutchinson, were destined for destruction after the Restoration. But Nan stepped in. Despite her royalist allegiance, she secretly saved Lucy’s manuscripts and ensured they were eventually published. This act of preservation—one woman saving another’s voice from oblivion—epitomizes the central theme of my novels: that women’s stories matter, and they are often rescued by one another.

Nan’s own story is a masterclass in courage and subtle power. At her estate, Ditchley Park in Oxfordshire, she created a fortress of loyalty to the Stuart cause. Under constant threat of confiscation by Cromwell’s regime, Nan maintained her estate through a delicate balance of diplomacy and bold defiance. She arranged weapons and horses for the Cavaliers, hosted secret gatherings, and provided a refuge for royalist allies and rebels—including, at times, her husband, Henry Wilmot, one of Charles II’s closest confidants.

But Nan’s most dangerous role was as a royalist spymistress. Skilled in subterfuge, she managed networks of messengers and secret correspondence, ensuring the flow of intelligence critical to the king’s survival. Yet for all her royalist fervour, Nan’s deepest loyalty remained with her family. After the Restoration, she risked everything to plead for mercy on behalf of John Hutchinson, one of the signatories to Charles I’s death warrant. To aid her cause, she even enlisted Barbara Villiers, her cousin and Charles II’s powerful mistress. Nan’s actions were astonishing in their compassion and courage. She dared to blur the lines of loyalty and treason for the sake of kinship.

In Written in Their Stars, Anne Wilmot’s story is given the attention history has too often denied her. Whether risking everything to save her king, defending her estate, or advocating for a condemned cousin, Nan’s character is drawn from real acts of defiance and compassion. She emerges not as a footnote to powerful men, but as a power in her own right—a woman whose legacy is stitched into the fabric of war, loyalty, and love.

Buy Links:

Universal Series Buy Link: https://geni.us/TheLydiardChronicles

These titles are available to read on #KindleUnlimited

Hot Summer Reads:

*Each novel is priced at just 99c / 99p July 1st – 15th, 2025*

Author Bio:

Elizabeth St.John’s critically acclaimed historical fiction novels tell the stories of her ancestors: extraordinary women whose intriguing kinship with England’s kings and queens brings an intimately unique perspective to Medieval, Tudor, and Stuart times.

Inspired by family archives and residences from Lydiard Park to the Tower of London, Elizabeth spends much of her time exploring ancestral portraits, diaries, and lost gardens. And encountering the occasional ghost. But that’s another story.

Living between California, England, and the past, Elizabeth is the International Ambassador for The Friends of Lydiard Park, an English charity dedicated to conserving and enhancing this beautiful centuries-old country house and park. As a curator for The Lydiard Archives, she is constantly looking for an undiscovered treasure to inspire her next novel.

Elizabeth’s works include The Lydiard Chronicles, a family saga set in 17th-century England during the Civil War, and The Godmother’s Secret, which unravels the medieval mystery of the missing princes in the Tower of London. Her latest release, The King’s Intelligencer, follows Franny Apsley in the treacherous court of Charles II as she risks everything to uncover the dangerous truth behind the discovery of the princes’ bones.

Author Links:

Website:         https://www.elizabethjstjohn.com/

Facebook:      https://www.facebook.com/ElizabethJStJohn/

LinkedIn:       https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethjstjohn/

Instagram:     https://www.instagram.com/elizabethjstjohn/

Threads:        https://www.threads.net/@elizabethjstjohn

Bluesky:         https://bsky.app/profile/elizabethstjohn.bsky.social

Book Bub:      https://www.bookbub.com/profile/elizabeth-st-john

Amazon Author Page:              https://geni.us/AmazonElizabethStJohn

Goodreads:    https://geni.us/GoodreadsElizStJohn

This entry was posted on July 4, 2025. 2 Comments

Three Days With Molly

Jul3

Book Link

From Amazon:

Finn Riley is a hard-working country-rock star whose less-than-meager upbringing turned him into a guarded, self-proclaimed heartless bastard. He’s about to embark on a summer concert tour and is in need of a personal assistant. Molly Williams is a stressed-out, over-worked aide to a divorce lawyer. She’s dealt with people suffering from heartache and irreconcilable differences for so long that she thinks all relationships are doomed. When her boss takes a sudden leave of absence, she’s gifted with three-months to do whatever she wants. A friend talks her into stumping as Finn’s assistant. Can two work-aholics with trust issues lighten up long enough to follow their hearts? Or will they kill each other before the tour is over?

My Review:

Mary Schmidt

Quick fun romance

Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2025

Verified Purchase

For romance fans, this is a funny and fast read romance with many relatable scenes. For Jan’s, don’t miss the three this is full of, packed full almost 24/7.

Meet Billy J. Barnum

Jul2

Please welcome Billy J. Barnum to my blog. Hello Billy. Nice to have you on today.  

Please introduce yourself to those reading this blog post.

My name is Billy J. Barnum, a world-famous poet and author who has sold books worldwide. I am a direct descendant of the also world-famous Ringmaster from the “Ringling brothers, Barnum, and Bailey circus” Phineus T. Barnum aka P.T. Barnum.

Has writing always been part of your life and when did you “know” that it was time to start writing your first book?

I started writing as a teenager when something hit me out of the blue and I scribbled it down frantically. Once I read it back, I had chills down my spine because it was one of the most awesome poems I’ve ever read but did not know where it came from. In 2019 my publishing journey began as I figured they’d sit in a notebook anonymously or I would share them with the world. I chose the latter of course.

How difficult was it writing your first book?

The book was written already for years but I had no clue how to get it published. The first publisher took forever to get it out so I learned how to and started self-publishing so I can make every book as I envisioned them to be.

Have you ever wanted to give up and what stopped you?

I never ever wanted to give up but as stated I was just a little reprehensive to do it.

Who is the most supportive of you and your dream to be a writer?

Honestly all my friends and family have been awesome. I think my son Orion is quietly a big supporter.

Anything specific you want to tell your readers?

If you dive into my book and give them a chance, I am sure they will profoundly affect your outcome on life and give you hope for the future. You will definitely be taken on a wild ride with some poems, and of course some will pull on the heart strings and others will make you chuckle and even belly laugh.

What is the best advice given to you (book or otherwise), and by whom?

Just give it a shot.

What is your target audience and what aspect of your writing do you feel targets that audience?

I think a lot of people in the UK, Canada, Germany are large. I think they are getting the true meaning behind the meanings of the books. Of course, the USA is a HUGE supporter.  

Did the cover evolve the same way, or did you work with someone to make it come together for you?

I carefully selected them to fit the title of each book.

What are you working on now? Can we get a peek, an excerpt?

The last book was “The Last New Tales from The Baron” but never say never 😉

Any last words before we wrap things up?

I am so honored to be included in the awesome Blog and thank Mary from the bottom of my heart for including me. I also urge everyone to go on Amazon and type in the search “Billy J. Barnum” to get a copy of and see all my epic poetry books and 5-star reviews.

BIO:

I am not just a poet I am also a storyteller. In my books you’ll find thought provoking, conversation starting, and wildly profound poetry that makes the imagination soar and plays with the heartstrings.Some poems may make you laugh out loud as well. It is my hopes that if you love great stories you’ll love the poetry in these books. Always remember to Dream Big!

Website: https://www.talesfromthebaron.com/

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/talesfromthebaron

Twitter: https://x.com/Poetryman551

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Billy-J-Barnum/author/B07YSZRDL2?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=e97c2bee-07a8-490a-bfc2-6170e002dd1b

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/billy%20j.%20barnum